Cherry Blossoms and Red Clouds
by writer02135
Summary: Sakura knew that it was her fault. Because she was weak, she lost Sasuke and got Naruto hurt for it. So she sets off, away from Konoha to bring Sasuke back. Along the way she meets Itachi and the rest of the Akatsuki. SakuraxItachi. Ketsora production.
1. Leaving Konoha

**Disclaimer: I, Ketsora Jiyuu do not own Naruto. Flames are welcome, oh, and, yes I know this chapter stinks.**

"Hey, Sakura!" Tsunade called from her office window. "What Tsunade-sama?" Sakura called back. "I thought I told you to take a break today. No training!" the Hokage called out. Sakura sighed. "Right. Totally forgot," the pink haired kunoichi replied, walking away from the Hokage's office.

Later that night, Naruto was sitting by the gate of Konoha just staring at the moon when Sakura came along.

"Hey Sakura-chan! Where ya going?" he asked. Sakura dropped her backpack on the stone bench. "Leaving," she stated simply. Quietly, she slipped off her headband and placed it on the stony ground. "Yeah right," Naruto drawled.

"I'm sorry," Sakura then said. "Meh?" Naruto asked. She sighed, "Sorry for getting you hurt when you went looking for Sasuke. Sorry for being too weak to stop Sasuke. Sorry for being selfish, too. Sorry for Sekei."

The fox demon ninja stared at his crush and burst out laughing. "That was so random Sakura-chan!" he laughed. "Out of the way, baka. I'm leaving Konoha to bring back Sasuke," Sakura demanded. "Ehehehe, looks like you weren't kidding," Naruto sighed.

He got into a fighting stance; "I lost Sasuke, because he walked out this gate, on this very road. I'm not going to let you go like I lost him! Even if I have to fight you, and break your legs!" Closing her eyes, Sakura laughed. "It's weird to see you so serious. You used to be the knuckle-headed ninja of the leaf. Not to be taken seriously at all."

Naruto got into a deeper fighting stance, "One question. Who's Sekei?" Sakura's eyes flew open. They weren't the normal light green color anymore. They were… crimson.

"Sekei is my little sister who I was too weak to protect. She was killed three months ago," the kunoichi explained. Naruto dropped his guard for a split second, and Sakura threw a punch that knocked the idiot ninja a couple of meters back.

Picking up her backpack once more, she walked out of the gate and set off to a journey to nowhere.

(A day or two later)

"Hey, Itachi-san. Do you think that girl could be a Jinchuuriki?" Kisame asked. "Probably not. We've been tracking her for two days now and that swirling chakra hasn't worn down yet. Wouldn't a bijuu's chakra wear off after the event that awakened it had passed? That's what happens to Naruto and the Six-tails that we've been attempting to capture," Itachi reasoned. "True enough," Kisame settled the matter.

Sakura looked up. She had a strange feeling that a fish and a hot villain were following her.

"_Hey? Do you get the feeling that a fish-man and a totally hot villain are watching us?" Sakura asked her Inner Self (who was currently in charge of her body, hence the crimson eyes and the immense chakra)._

"_Kind of. It's probably nothing though," Inner Sakura decided._

Sakura felt a jolt of pain in her left shoulder. Then came the same pain, this time in her right shoulder.

"We have some questions for you," Itachi said coolly. Kisame laughed and both Sakura and Itachi stared at him.

"The swirling mass of chakra wore off Itachi-san. Maybe she is a Jinchuuriki after all," Kisame chuckled, "If so, we'll need to immobilize her just a bit more." His fist clenched the giant sword, Shark Skin.

"_It's probably nothing though. Weren't those your words?" Sakura asked._

"_Jeez. I didn't think there was anything to be worried about," Inner Sakura snapped._

"_Well there is now. These two think I'm a Jinchuuriki and are going to attempt to extract you and kill me in the process!" Sakura yelled at Inner Sakura._

"_Alright, alright. I'll help you out, but this is the last time!"_


	2. Aftershock

**Ketsora: Sakura do the disclaimer.**

**Sakura: Hai. Ketsora (and Aurora) don't own Naruto.**

**Ketsora: Yes, good. Now read and review!**

**Bold **Inner Sakura _Italics _thoughts

Sakura's eyes glowed red once more. She attempted to stand, but from the kunai that were still stuck in her shoulders, new pain bloomed in circular motions.

"_**HEY! GET BACK UP SAKURA!"**__ Inner Sakura yelled. "I have no control over this. The guy with the Sharingan is doing something to those kunai, I know it!"_ _Sakura yelled back._

"Kisame, wait," Itachi told the fish man, "I'm going to ask her a few questions. And every time she refuses to answer…" The Uchiha made some hand signs.

Sakura grimaced as the pain, once more, returned in the same circular motion. Only this time, it spread faster and was more unbearable.

"If she doesn't answer, I'll send stronger and stronger bursts of chakra through the kunai. I won't need you, for this method is foolproof," Itachi told Kisame. "At least you have a plan," Kisame snorted.

"Damn. That hurts you know!" Sakura said to Itachi. "Question one. Why are you here?" he asked. "I'm not going to answer that," the kunoichi responded. The pain surged through her body. "Question two. Are you a Jinchuuriki?" Itachi asked. "No," Sakura replied. She gripped one of the kunai that Itachi was using to channel the chakra and pulled it out.

"That won't help you," Itachi stated coldly. He sent three consecutive waves of chakra through the remaining kunai, and Sakura fell again.

"I hate you," she smiled. Kisame pulled out the last kunai, and turned to Itachi.

"This isn't helping much. Maybe we just need to bring her to the hideout and go from there," Kisame suggested. "Perhaps. But I just need to ask one last thing," Itachi said. "Yeah, sure."

Itachi helped Sakura up, then grabbed her wrist. "Tell me this one thing, or I'll break your wrist. Do you know anyone named Sasuke Uchiha?" he asked. "I used to," she said, not making eye contact.

Then, Itachi kneed her in the stomach, and everything went black.

(In Konoha)

"I'M AWAKE!" Naruto yelled. "Oh good. Naruto-kun, what happened? Kiba found you by the village gate, and brought you here," Shizune said.

"You guys got Sakura, right?" Naruto asked. "Huh? We haven't seen Sakura since yesterday. Is something wrong?" Shizune replied. "She left! I tried to stop her, but she knocked me out, I guess!" Naruto yelled.

"She did?" Tsunade walked in with a grim expression, "First Sasuke and now Sakura! I thought the kid had more sense than that!"

"She talked about bringing Sasuke back, and how she was sorry that I got hurt when I tried to. And something about her being too weak to change it. Tch! I thought I told her I'd get him!" Naruto complained, holding his head.

"The search for Sasuke. It must be contagious," Tsunade sighed.

(At the Akatsuki Base)

"You awake yet, un?" asked a voice. "Yeah," Sakura replied.

"Itachi-sama wanted me to watch you, un," Deidara told her. "Hey, where is he? I want to kill him!" Sakura growled.

"I can tell that you're feeling a little better," Itachi commented, leaning on the doorframe, "Your audience is requested with Pain."


	3. Sakura's Test

Disclaimer: (Brought to you by Sasuke) Ketsora does not own Naruto. I have no idea why she'd want to.

**Ketsora: IF I OWNED NARUTO, I'D BE MAKING MILLIONS!**

**Aurora: IF I OWNED NARUTO, I'D MARRY SASUKE!**

Thanks to my reviewers, shadowwriter329, TeenageCrisis, and lonleycomet!

"Who's Pain?" Sakura asked. She felt herself tense up a little from the name. Pain sounded like an important person. The way Itachi closed his eyes when he said it didn't help her any.

"The leader of the Akatsuki. He wants to know if you're a threat or not," Itachi spat, "Get dressed and come right outside this room."

Sakura got dressed and stopped for a second.

"_I could run away, and not have to deal with this Pain guy,"_ _Sakura thought._

"_**What are you, crazy? This is your chance to prove how strong you are!"**__ Inner Sakura shouted._

Itachi glared coldly at the pink haired girl, "You ready?" Sakura glared back, but said nothing.

"If you go through this door, you'll be in the main chamber of the base. Pain should be there. I suggest that you don't lie to him. His Rinnengan can see through it all," Itachi told her. "Concerned, bastard?" Sakura asked.

The mahogany doors swung open and Sakura walked in. The hall was giant, and had a stone maze cutting through it. She looked up to see a lone figure standing on a wooden balcony a few feet above the maze.

"Sakura Haruno. I have only a couple of questions and tasks for you," Pain said. Sakura nodded, and nervously clenched her fists. "Get through this maze," he told her.

"_**That's easy,"**__ Inner Sakura drawled._

Taking a few steps into the stone maze, she stopped. "Something isn't right," she whispered. Taking a sharp right turn, Sakura walked a few feet and met a wall.

"This is a genjutsu," she commented, stepping through the wall. Pain looked mildly impressed. "True. I suppose you gathered that each of those pathways ended in a dead end?" he asked. Sakura nodded.

"Itachi told me that you knew Sasuke Uchiha. Is it true?" Pain ventured. "Yeah. I knew him," Sakura replied. "Tell me just about everything you know of him," Pain requested.

"He was cold, heartless, and marked with a curse mark. He left for Orochimaru, and I plan to bring him back," Sakura told him simply. "Do you know anything about our organization?" was the next question.

"The Akatsuki is a group of missing ninja from different nations who came together to extract the bijuus from the Jinchuuriki. By doing so, the Akatsuki will gain domination," Sakura replied. She waited. "You know. This way, either we can use you, or we can't," Pain said, more to himself than to Sakura.

"I'm going to send in a couple of my subordinates. Let me see how well you deal with them," Pain leaned back on the wall, as three men entered from the back of the chamber.

The first two advanced on Sakura, and one tried to punch her. She ducked, and carefully moved to his side. She focused chakra to her fist and punched him in the ribcage. Then she swept out the other one's feet, and palmed him into a crater.

Turning to face the third man, she realized that he carried a sword. Not a little katana sword, or a dagger, but a bad ass head-cleaving Zabuza sword.

"Die," the man said. Sakura jumped out of the way of the sword, but when she looked behind her, the same man was right behind her.

"Crap, he's fast," she muttered. The man swung the blade across Sakura's arm. She jumped up to a wall, and stayed there for a while. "My only hope would be a genjutsu," the kunoichi reasoned.

She ran back down the wall, made some quick hand signs and whispered, "Hari no Tsuiraku Ha Genkaku." **(A/N: Literally, Falling Leaf Needle Illusion)**

The man dropped his sword and began to shake; an obvious sign that he had been caught.

"Alright. You may leave. I'll send Deidara to give you the news," Pain dismissed her. Sakura grimaced, as she examined the deep cut along her left arm.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, apparently very amused. "Pain-sama must have gone easy on you if you only escaped with a scratch. Normally, anyone goes in, only half of them returns," he chuckled. Sakura glared at him and began to heal the wound. After a few minutes it was completely healed and Deidara came to their room.

"Pain said Sakura could stay, un," Deidara relayed the message, "And he said since she wanted to bring Sasuke back, she'd need to train. Pain said one of the best ways to do that would be for her to join one of our teams for a while."

Itachi laughed. "If you want, Sasori and I could take her…" Deidara offered. "No, she's mine," Itachi stated. He put his arm around Sakura's neck.

"I seriously hate you," Sakura replied.


	4. Don't Rescue Me

**Ketsora: This is a very memorable chapter.**

**Naruto: And why is that?**

**Ketsora: Because I felt like saying that…**

**Naruto: O.o Ketsora doesn't own Naruto.**

**Ketsora: Hah, tricked you into doing the disclaimer! Oh, by the way. If anyone was interested, this story takes place a year after Part 1 ended, but a year and a half before the Timeskip episodes would begin.**

"It's true, isn't it?" Ino asked. She came and sat down next to Naruto. The blond boy looked up at her, "What's true?"

"Sakura's left the village, just like Sasuke," Ino finished. Naruto gently bit down on his tongue, like he did when he was a kid. It used to prevent him from crying when his classmates picked on him. "Yeah," he sighed.

"Do you think we should send out a search party for her?" Ino asked, "Because Tenten, Hinata and I, even Shikamaru, would do anything to get her back. Tsunade's depressed beyond reason, and…"

Naruto placed his hand over Ino's mouth. "I hate not having Sakura around. Kakashi-sensei is really secretly upset as well. But I don't have the heart to send out a search party after what happened with Sasuke."

"So we're just going to abandon her?" Ino screamed, outraged, "Who knows if she's dead or alive, or anything?! Sakura isn't like Sasuke! She wouldn't leave the village for power, or something suicidal, like bringing back Sasuke when even you couldn't!" She stormed off, outraged.

Naruto gently released his tongue and let the tears roll down.

"So, is there going to be a search or not?" Shikamaru asked Ino when she returned to his house. "No. Naruto won't go for it. I'll find her, though!" Ino cried determinedly. "Do you need me to help?" Shikamaru yawned lazily. "Sure. Help me pack and you can travel with me when we go to find Sakura!"

Shikamaru only half listened though. If what Tsunade-sama had said to him when he talked with the Hokage, then Sakura had left to find Sasuke. And if that was true, then if Naruto couldn't retrieve Sasuke, then there was no way the no-talent, weak kunoichi that he knew could bring Sasuke back. It was troublesome really to think of what would happen.

**(Back with the Akatsuki)**

"You sure about that Itachi-san?" Deidara asked. "Yeah, positive. We could use her on our team," Itachi confirmed, his arm still around Sakura's neck, "Did Pein-sama say anything else?"

"He told me she was a specialist in genjutsu, and she had abnormal strength, like Tsunade of the Hidden Leaf Village," Deidara relayed. "Let go," Sakura snarled, elbowing Itachi. He let go.

"Sakura here is also a medic," Itachi said, "And we need a medic. Sasori and Konan are always busy healing everyone, so another set of hands would help productivity."

"True, un," Deidara grunted, "Sasori and I have a mission right now so I'll leave you two alone." Sakura stared at Itachi. Itachi stared back.

This staring contest went on for a while until Itachi said, "The longer we wait, the stronger Sasuke will get. You will train right now." Sakura crossed her arms, "Train, now? How?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, with an amused smirk on his face, "I'm going to teach you a few new genjutsu. Then, run 10 laps around the inside of the base. After that, we'll see."

**(With Ino)**

"C'mon Shikamaru!" the blond yelled. "Meh. According to Tsunade, it'll take a week to track the surrounding forest. Then, there's always a possibility that the Akatsuki got her. If that happens, then it might take another week to find the base," the lazy ninja yawned. "I don't care," Ino replied.

Shikamaru looked at her. "If the Akatsuki got her, then there's a 79 chance that she'll die within a week," he reeled of, as though he practiced these statistics before. "Then we head straight for the base first!" Ino shot back. "You troublesome woman, don't you understand? It is a waste of time!" Shikamaru complained loudly.

Ino turned around. "Abandoning a friend is a waste of time."

**(A Week and Three Days Passes and We're Back With Sakura)**

Itachi leaned in the doorway to Sakura's room. "Wake up," he called out. "Not on your life," Sakura said. "Today you're going to train with Sasori," Itachi told her.

Sakura sat up. Her muscles ached, because of the week of "Itachi's Death Camp Training." Itachi then disappeared for a minute. He returned with an Akatsuki robe and a ring. "These are yours, by the way. Put them on."

"I will. First, let me just wake up…" Sakura yawned, stretching. Itachi turned on his heel, and left the room. Sakura threw on the robe, and slid on her ring. It read diamond.

"Kisame and I are leaving now. Wait here until Sasori comes. He hates making people wait, so he should be here in ten minutes!" Itachi called to Sakura from the hallway.

"_**I'm 13! I can take care of myself!" Inner Sakura shouted.**__ "If you're so upset, then let's just go for a walk when he leaves. Maybe a change of scenery will calm you down," Sakura told Inner. __**"Meh. Whatever. I don't like Itachi."**_

So Sakura walked down the hallway and down two flights of stairs to the main chamber. The large rock that blocked the exit would be difficult to move, she was thinking when all of a sudden, Sasori appeared.

"Trying to get out, I see," he mused, "You just place your ring hand on the rock and say your ring's name." Sakura looked at him, placed her left hand upon the boulder and proclaimed, "Diamond." The slab of stone dematerialized and Sakura stepped out. "I'll be waiting for you to come back," Sasori told her. Sakura promised him it would be five minutes at most.

**(With Ino)**

"This is taking too long," Shikamaru complained. "Hey, wait a second. See the girl in the black robe. That pink hair and giant forehead are noticeable anywhere. That's Sakura!" Ino yelled at the genius ninja.

She ran out to greet her old friend. Shikamaru lazily trailed alongside.

"Sakura! Thank Kami we found you," Ino exclaimed. Sakura gave Ino a rather cold stare, and said, "Why? I'm fine."

Shikamaru plunged his hands into his pockets. "We're here to take you back. Come on, if we leave now, we can make it back to Konoha in a few days," he sighed.

**What happens next? Well, review and I'll write it up ASAP.**

**Thank you to my loyal reviewers lonleycomet, TeenageCrisis, shadowwriter329, and Luka1Sakura!**


	5. Return to Konoha?

**Ketsora: Welcome to Chapter 5.**

**Sasuke: It's Chapter 4, actually.**

**Ketsora: Hey, emo. Get a calculator and do the math! It's Chapter 5!**

**Kakashi: This could go on for a while, so let's get on with the story.**

"Leave?" Sakura asked, "What do you mean?"

"And I thought you were supposed to be pretty smart. Leaving, as in we're going back to Konoha, and away from the Akatsuki base," Shikamaru repeated, pointing back towards the village.

"It's not that I don't comprehend the meaning of 'leave', genius. I just wondered why and how you were going to bring me back," Sakura replied. Shikamaru rolled his eyes."We're brining you back, by force if necessary, and because the village needs you," Ino answered.

So Sakura yelled back at the entrance of the base, "Sasori, I've met a few friends of mine. It will take longer than five minutes to get back."

With that she appeared behind Shikamaru and knocked him across the back of the head. He fell down, apparently unconscious.

"So it's a fight you want, eh?" Ino asked sinking into a fighting stance. Sakura ran and was right behind Ino with a kunai. "Yeah. I suppose that's the only way I'll be able to get rid of you," Sakura chuckled. Ino drew her own kunai and pushed away her friend's. The blond threw a punch, and Sakura ducked, countering with a knee to the back.

Ino fell to her knees, and preformed a few handsigns. "Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Ino yelled. The attack hit head on. And Sakura (who is now Ino) sighed.

"Okay. Now, to think about this," Sakura/Ino contemplated, "While I have Sakura under my control I should probably get her as far from the base as I can…"

"You should," Sakura (the REAL Sakura) replied. And Sakura pushed Ino out of her mind.

"Alright, dammit. I'm going to bring you back to Konoha whether you like it or not!" Ino yelled, charging at Sakura. The pink haired kunoichi simply evaded the attack, and pulled Ino into a wrist-lock. Sakura, using her knowledge of the pressure points, pressed near Ino's collarbone, and the blond fell.

Sasori came out from the base. "Do you need some help?" the redhead asked, politely. "Hn. It's fine. I can bring them back to Konoha alone," Sakura replied. So she picked up Shikamaru and Ino, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, dust, and leaves.

**(In Konoha)**

Sakura reappeared on the windowsill of Tsunade's office. Shizune fell out of her chair and Tsunade swore harshly. "WHAT THE FUCK?" the Hokage yelled. **(A/N The rating has gone up) **"Sorry, Tsunade-sama," Sakura apologized.

"You'd better be, Sakura. Wait a damn second… SAKURA?!" Tsunade sat up. "Hai," Sakura replied. She took Shikamaru and Ino and placed them on the floor, "We need a hospital room for these two."

"I'll get one ready right away," Shizune bowed. The assistant ran out of the room.

Tsunade turned to face Sakura. "You came back?" the Godaime Hokage asked. "No, not officially. When I come back, it'll be with an unconscious Sasuke, not Ino or Shikamaru," Sakura sighed. "You sure you don't want to stay?" Tsunade edged, somewhat hopefully. "Positive," Sakura stated, starting to get up on the windowsill again.

Tsunade opened a new bottle of sake and poured some into two glasses. Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Before you leave, just have a drink," Tsunade motioned to the second glass.

The kunoichi sat down. "Only because I've acquired a taste for it," Sakura told her master. Tsunade bowed her head respectfully and inquired, "Do you realize you're wearing an Akatsuki robe?"

Sakura nodded, pouring herself another cup of sake. "And you're not concerned?" Tsunade asked. "No. After all I am an official member of the Akatsuki," Sakura replied very calmly.

Tsunade's right eye twitched and she muttered, "The fuck? Sakura, you were a good kid. Now you're an Akatsuki and a traitor to Konoha."

"Actually, I've never scratched my headband, so I haven't betrayed anyone," Sakura countered. "True," Tsunade sat back in her seat.

Sakura walked to the windowsill and, before she disappeared, she said, "Goodbye Tsunade-sama."

**Ketsora: Didja like it?**

**Naruto: No! **

**Sasuke: I agree.**

**Ketsora: You're mean. Wait, how did you get in my house?**

**Naruto & Sasuke: The front door.**


	6. A Little Training and a Kiss

**Nontegakari: I am Ketsora's hyperactive cousin! I'll write the story from now on!**

**Ketsora: No you won't. (Knocks Nontegakari across the room) Now there are stupid germs on my computer…**

**Nontegakari: Enjoy the chapter!**

"You're back?" Sasori asked. Sakura nodded, and looked away quickly.

"We should get on with the training, no?" Sasori asked, "It's called the puppet master jutsu. I think you've heard of it." The kunoichi walked into the center of the chamber. "Yeah, I've heard of it. I know it requires precise chakra control for one thing," she replied.

The redhead moved to a closet and brought out an old wooden puppet. It was weathered and worn from years of battle. "This was the puppet that my grandmother made for me. It was my very first puppet, and I haven't upgraded it much," his eyes surveyed the wooden frame, "And it should be a little stiff from lack of use."

He handed it to Sakura. "Try focusing chakra to your fingertips and releasing it in a constant stream. Attach it as best as you can to the puppet," he replied. Sakura got into a ready stance and carefully focused her chakra.

Slowly, the puppet rose, an inch off the ground at a time. When Sasori was sure that Sakura had gotten the marionette under her control, it fell.

"Crap. It's harder than it looks," she observed. Sasori chuckled. "Try again. It's hard, yeah I know, but it's not impossible," he told her.

So for the next half hour, Sakura attempted to gain control of the puppet. After many unsuccessful attempts, she finally got it to stand straight, and was maintaining it. "Good. Take a break," Sasori told her. Sakura gratefully accepted that, and let the puppet fall unceremoniously.

Just then Itachi and Kisame entered into the base. Kisame was carrying Itachi over his shoulder.

"What happened?" Sasori and Sakura asked instantaneously. "I have no idea. We were fighting Sound ninja when Itachi fell. I noticed blood everywhere, and he couldn't move. I'd say it was the sound waves but I can't be sure. I wasn't watching him the whole time," Kisame snorted.

"You keep training. I'll heal him," Sasori told Sakura. "You may need two medics if it is sound damage," Sakura snapped. "If it isn't…" Sasori pressed. "What if it is?" Sakura yelled back.

"You're real stubborn, you know that, cherry blossom?" Itachi opened his left eye to stare at the kunoichi. Kisame laughed, "You okay, Itachi-san?"

"No. I'm actually not. It was Kabuto. He messed up my nerves, I guess. Then one of his subordinates drove a sword into me, and sent sound waves through it," Itachi explained. He grasped his side in pain, and coughed up blood.

"Alright. Sakura, go upstairs and the first door on your right is my usual medical room. We don't have time to bring Itachi-sama up there, so just bring down the red box. That should be enough," Sasori ordered Sakura. She ran up the stairs and returned a few minutes later with the said red box.

**(Konoha)**

"Hey Ino, wake up," Shikamaru called to Ino. The blond shot up, and looked over at Shikamaru. "Wha? Oh, right. I'm still in the hospital," Ino sighed.

"Yeah, but Tsunade released you two days ago," Shikamaru looked surprised. "She never told me that," Ino was equally as surprised but figured that Tsunade was just rattled by Sakura's brief reappearance.

"Come on. Asuma wants us to meet him at the barbecue place," Shikamaru, put his hands in his pockets and turned away.

"Hey billboard brow. Bring back Sasuke next time. That'll make up for knocking me out," Ino said to the sky.

**(Back with the Akatsuki)**

"Done," Sasori said, sitting back on his heels. "You sure?" Sakura asked, "Shouldn't we close up the sword wound?"

"You can if you want. I stopped the internal bleeding, and returned control to most of his major nerves. Right now I need a break," the puppet master replied. "Okay. It'll take a second," Sakura focused the chakra to her hands until a greenish glow surrounded them. She carefully pressed on the sword wound on Itachi's shoulder and let the chakra mend it.

"Alright, enough," Itachi half-growled, half-coughed. Sakura withdrew, and glared at the Uchiha. "Just trying to prevent more pain. Sorry if you're ungrateful for that," she said.

Itachi grabbed Sakura's wrist, just like the first time they met. Instead of trying to crack it like before, he pulled Sakura in, and kissed her.

Sasori stared at both of them in surprise. "Get off!" Sakura yelled, pushing Itachi away. A blush slowly crept across her cheeks though.

"_**My, my. Are we in love?" Inner Sakura asked mockingly. **__"Maybe. So what if I am?" Sakura said. __**"If we really are, then let your guard down a bit. If it wasn't for the fact that I was part of you, I wouldn't have known," Inner Sakura told her.**_

"Sorry Sakura," Itachi grinned for a minute. Then he regained the air of cold indifference that he bore so proudly, "Have you learned anything from Sasori-sama?"

"Yeah. A few things," Sakura stood back up, and grabbed the puppet she had been practicing with. She made it stand and moved its arms a little. "Good. That's all we really expected you'd know," Itachi said.

Pein looked on from the top of the staircase. "Do you think she can do it, Tobi?" he asked. "Maybe. I know Sasuke and his abilities. He's maturing rapidly, it's scary actually," Tobi stopped, "What do you think Pein-dono?"

"I think the end fight would be extremely fun to watch," Pein said, giving a slight grin.

**Ketsora: Chapter 6 done. Hope you liked it.**

**Sakura: Please review.**


	7. The Ano Sharingan

**Ketsora: I don't own Naruto or anything other than my plot. **

**Kakashi: Now onto the story. I want to know what happens to my ex-student.**

**Ketsora: Okay then… Oh, by the way, this takes place a year after the last chapter.**

Sakura ran down a hallway, panting heavily. She rounded a corner to meet another dead end. The stone walls seemed to shrink and cut off her air.

_She was chasing a man with dark blackish-blue hair. Every once and a while he'd look back, and disappear through another barrier. She wasn't conscious of why this man was important to follow, but he was drawing her to chase him by some strange power._

_Finally the man was trapped against a wall that he couldn't penetrate like the others. He placed his hands upon the cold stones and paid no mind to the kunoichi behind him. Sakura took that moment to place her hand upon his shoulder and turn him around._

_She stumbled backwards. It was Sasuke, but he seemed much different. There were three people next to him. One wore glasses and had red hair, another had a sword on his back and white-ish hair. The last one was tall with messy brown hair._

"_Sakura…?" was Sasuke's response. He drew a kunai so quickly that she didn't have a chance to react. He thrust the kunai knife into her neck. A gush of warm blood poured out._

"NO!" Sakura bolted up out of bed, knocking Itachi over in the process. Itachi pulled himself back up and rubbed his head. "Sorry. What were you doing in my room anyway?" Sakura asked the Uchiha.

"You were mumbling something about running and Sasuke so I came to make sure you were all right," Itachi sighed. "Well, in case you haven't noticed, I'm fine," Sakura scoffed, walking over to her window. She rubbed the left side of her neck where she got stabbed in the dream.

"What happened to your neck?" Itachi asked, sounding more concerned than he let on. "Nothing. Why're you so concerned about me all of a sudden?" Sakura asked hotly. She looked away. The dream about Sasuke really rattled her.

"Since you're fine, get your lazy ass down to the hall. Pein requested your audience," the Uchiha grumbled

After the year timeskip, Sakura grew her hair out to mid-back and changed her wardrobe from light red and pink to black and deep crimson. She wore a black tank top and dark red capris. When she exited her room, Itachi had already gone.

"Morning Sakura-dono," Tobi greeted Sakura in his normal, laid-back manner. "Yeah," Sakura replied. She opened the heavy oak doors and walked into the hallway. Pein stood in the exact center of the hall with Konan to his immediate right. Itachi hung back, but was still positioned at Pein's left.

"Sakura, we've been tracking Sasuke's progress and comparing it to yours for the past year," Pein began, "And you've progressed rapidly, but not enough to match Sasuke. One of the reasons we've concluded for this is…"

Itachi cut Pein off. "It's the Sharingan. So for the past few months, I've been experimenting on a type of Sharingan of my own. It's called the Ato Sharingan, and it has four prongs. One for copying ninjutsu, one for taijutsu, another for genjutsu, and the last for kekkei genkai," he told her.

"So? I'm not an Uchiha, so it's no use to me. Besides, it's impossible to copy kekkei genkai. You'd need to, in theory, clone their blood and genes to do that!" Sakura snapped. Itachi put his palm out and a pattern with a four-pronged Sharingan appeared. He pressed it onto her neck, where Sasuke stabbed her in the dream, and the same mark transferred to her skin.

"There. You may not be an Uchiha, but who needs to be?' Itachi said. Then he frowned, and turned to Pein, "Anything you want to say?" Pein shook his head and watched Sakura slump to her knees.

"_**What the hell was that?" Inner Sakura screamed. **__"Nothing much. It's draining my energy though," Sakura brushed her Inner off. __**"Isn't that something?! Lemme take over for a bit, then," Inner Sakura pushed.**__ "That might be a good idea," Sakura replied._

So Sakura let her Inner take over.

Pein turned his head to look at Sakura. "What's that?" he asked Itachi, "Is it the Sharingan?" Itachi laughed, "No. Don't worry Pein-sama. Sakura-hime has an Inner, is all. It's nothing to worry about." But Pein had already left.

"First off, Itachi-teme, DON'T call me Sakura-hime. Second, it is a big deal! What did you do to her… me…" Sakura yelled at Itachi. "In a matter of hours, you will have a Sharingan much more powerful than Sasuke's or Kakashi's. They can copy ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu, but you can also reproduce kekkei genkai, bloodline limits," Itachi started, "And once you can, we're sure that you'll be able to overpower Sasuke."

"Eh, whatever," Sakura replied. She turned away and went back to her room.

When she got there, she saw both Deidara and Sasori waiting for her. "Any particular reason why you two guys are in my room?" Sakura asked (the outer one, she switched back). "No, none at all," the two artists answered. "Right…" Sakura turned to leave. "One second, please. How are you? Need assistance?" Sasori asked. "Yeah, un. According to Itachi, that Sharingan transfer might drain you for awhile, un," Deidara added.

"Nah, I'm fine for now. But I wonder… is this really enough to stop Sasuke and bring him back?"

"_All right, we should get moving," Shikamaru told the five-man team. "Wait!" Sakura called._

"_Sakura…?" Naruto asked. "Tsunade-sama told me about what happened. Sorry, but if you couldn't persuade Sasuke to stay, then we need to get him back by force. Therefore, your role in this is over," Shikamaru informed her. _

_Sakura felt some tears roll down her cheeks. She didn't feel like stopping them. "Please Naruto. I need you to bring Sasuke back. I couldn't do it, I couldn't stop him! The only one who can now, is you! Promise me that you will," she pleaded._

_Naruto turned to face her. "Sakura, you sure do care about Sasuke. I know what you're going through now, all too well. It's okay. I'm gonna bring Sasuke back for sure! That's a promise!" he exclaimed, giving her the thumbs-up._

"_Naruto… thank you…" Sakura sobbed._

"Sakura, you okay, un?" Deidara asked. "Yeah, I'm fine. I think I'm just going to go out and train," she told him. "Want to work on your puppet jutsu?" Sasori offered.

"Sure."

**Ketsora: Did you like the new update?**

**Sakura: Well yeah. **

**Ketsora: There'll be more action in the next chapter.**

**Haru Sohma: Tha's good. This chapter was boooring.**

**Ketsora: …? You're in the wrong anime/manga. Go back to Fruits Basket!!!**


	8. The Ambush Part 1

Ketsora: Yo

Ketsora: Yo. Here's the next chapter. Thanks to all my old, faithful reviewers, and my new reviewers! Hope you enjoy chapter 8.

**Sasuke: Am I in this one?**

Ketsora: Maybe, Mr. Emo Bastard.

(6 months later)

"What?" Sakura asked. Itachi nodded, and slowly lay face down on the bed. "Yeah. An army of Sound ninja. They're damn tough as well," he muttered. Sakura rolled up the Uchiha's shirt to reveal a bleeding wound running along his back. She started to focus her chakra for healing when he reached up and grabbed her wrist.

"Don't. I'm fine. The Sound will be here in a while, and we need to get ready to ambush them. Dammit Sakura, I'm fine," Itachi commanded the pink haired kunoichi. Sakura stood back. "So, anyway, how are we going to go about this ambush?" she asked, impatiently.

Itachi pulled his shirt back down and sighed. "Kisame, you, and I are going to stop the northern invasion. Deidara, Sasori, and Tobi will stop the southern army. They won't get through us," he told her, "Oh, and by the way. Use your Sharingan. You might be able to pick up some interesting jutsu."

Sakura looked skeptically at the S-Rank criminal. She then exited the medical room and she went into the hall. The custom puppet that Sasori made for her was still where she left it when she heard that Itachi had come back wounded, sprawled out with its limbs at distorted angles. She sent out strings of chakra to lift the puppet.

"Naruto… please help… bring Sasuke back…" she sobbed. "Naruto… please… help…"

"I don't need your help anymore…" Sakura said, clenching her fist and allowing the puppet to fall to the floor with a disturbing sort of creak.

"Sakura-dono. Don't break that. You'll need it for the ambush, no?" Sasori told the kunoichi. "Yeah, un. What's up?" Deidara asked. Sakura pushed away from the two. "It's nothing, nothing at all. C'mon. Let's go," she replied.

(With Itachi and Kisame)

"Sakura's late. We should get in position now, Itachi-san," Kisame scowled. "No. She'll come…" Itachi blinked and then sighed, "Now, how long have you been hiding there, Sakura-hime?"

"I haven't. Just arrived. The invading party is coming in the opposite direction. From what I could gather, they have the front few lines entirely composed of long range ninjutsu users," Sakura informed them. Kisame looked at the kunoichi with another sneer. "Well then. We should attack the line of long range jutsu users up close. That being said, we'll need to attack the other, non-long range jutsu users from afar," Itachi concluded, "Fortunately, a long-range genjutsu, which Sakura-hime and I can produce, should accomplish that. Then, Kisame, you should go in and obliterate the front lines."

The sound of clapping soon followed. "Yes… Very good. You dissected our weaknesses. Sasuke told me about the powers of the Sharingan's perception," a tall lanky individual observed.

"So, Sasuke told you _all_ about the Sharingan? Every type? Normal, Mangyeko, even the Ato Sharingan?" Sakura asked mockingly, attempting to activate the Sharingan she now possessed.

"No such thing," the man said, and chakra started to swirl around him. "Itachi, they're coming. Cast a genjutsu, now!" Sakura focused her chakra to awakening the Sharingan.

"_**Need any help?" Inner Sakura suggested. **__"Yeah. Do you know how to activate a Sharingan?" Sakura asked. __**"Nope," Inner Sakura replied.**__ "Oh, big freaking help I am!"_

"Raah!" the man flew at Sakura. No, literally, flew. The swirling chakra formed wings, a beak, and talons around his body, like a hawk.

Sakura rolled out of the way and drew a kunai. She ran at the man, locking the kunai blade with one of the chakra talons. Once she felt that she was losing the pushing battle, she switched her grip on the knife and focused a large amount of chakra into her fist. Sakura then punched the hawk-man (we shall call him "Taka" or Japanese for hawk for convenience) and he stumbled backwards.

"Don't you have a Sharingan or something? Can you only punch and hurl these pitiful kunai at me?" Taka howled with a high cackle, almost like a caw. Sakura took a scroll from her shuriken pouch and opened it. She whispered "kuchiyose no kairai" (summoning puppet) and her creaky old marionette fell in front of her. Strings of chakra connected to its limbs

"I also have this!" Sakura sent the puppet hurtling at Taka. At the least minute, the puppet revealed that it had hidden knives, one above, below, and on either side of its wrists. Taka had dropped his wings for a split second, so the knives impaled him.

"_**Good job, me" Inner Sakura cheered**__. "It can't be that easy!" Sakura presumed._

Another screech penetrated the air, as Taka grasped the puppet in his claws, and shattered it, sending splinters everywhere. Sakura fell back, as Taka swooped in for the kill…

**Sasuke: Nooo, Sakura. You can't die!**

**Naruto: Or can she?**

**Me: Find out next time on… well… right here!**


	9. Ambush Part 2: Sharingan

Ketsora: Thanks for your patience

**Ketsora: Thanks for your patience. Now, time for Chapter 10!**

**Naruto: Err... Chapter 9, I think.**

**Ketsora: Don't correct me!! (Throws random objects at Naruto)**

**Kakashi: Unto yonder story. (Blame that on Shakespeare)**

(Flashback)

"_I also have this!" Sakura sent the puppet hurtling at Taka. At the last minute, the puppet revealed that it had hidden knives, one above, below, and on either side of its wrists. Taka had dropped his wings for a split second, so the knives impaled him. _

"_**Good job, me" Inner Sakura cheered**__. "It can't be that easy!" Sakura presumed._

_Another screech penetrated the air, as Taka grasped the puppet in his claws, and shattered it, sending splinters everywhere. Sakura fell back, as Taka swooped in for the kill…_

Sakura's eyes were squeezed tightly shut. She hadn't been this scared since before she left Konoha. It was almost pitiful really, and she laughed mentally.

"_I should really be dead now, but I don't think I am," Sakura thought._

Opening one eye, she saw a few minor lacerations on her arms, but nothing much else. Taka was lying on his back; his chakra-hawk form now long dispersed. Blood was pooled around him, and his ravenous eyes were glazed over. Itachi stood victoriously near Taka, and withdrew a kunai from the victim's jugular vein.

"_**Damn, that must've been a good fight!" Inner Sakura jested. **__"Shut up. I hate the way he always has to make it look easy," Sakura sulked, "He's such a bastard!"_

"You okay?" Itachi asked. He held his hand out for Sakura to grab, but she slapped it away. "No thanks," she picked herself up. Glaring at the Uchiha, she noticed the four prongs in the Sharingan he bore. The Ato Sharingan.

Kisame joined the two, and placed Samaheda on the ground below. "They're all gone," the fish-man grinned evilly, and revealed his fangs. Sakura smiled, but felt her knees buckle beneath her. Itachi caught her before she even really knew what was happening. He scooped her into the notorious bridal style and whispered, "I'm taking you back to base."

Sakura attempted to resist but knew not to. Itachi definitely had ulterior motives. She didn't fall; Itachi must have kicked her to get her alone.

When the two reached a clearing far from Kisame, Itachi let her down. "Why did you suck so badly in that fight?" Itachi almost grinned but held it back, "What happened to Sakura-hime, the independent girl that first joined the Akatsuki? All I saw was really disappointing." Sakura sighed, "I was focusing a lot of my chakra into awakening the Ato Sharingan!"

"Think back to Sasuke. How'd he awaken the Sharingan?" Itachi pressed. "I wasn't there watching. He was fighting that Mist kid, Haku!" Sakura remembered.

In a flash Itachi had Sakura pinned to a tree, choking her. "He was fighting to protect Naruto. Now, I'm going to endanger you, and your Sharingan should awaken." With each word, the Uchiha's grip loosened. Sakura yelled, "How's that gonna work? I'll die! I've told you, I can't die until I face Sasuke again!"

With that, Itachi swung a kunai at Sakura's neckline. She ducked and went to sweep out the Uchiha's legs. He jumped, and stepped on her ankle, causing her to wince in pain. Keeping his foot in place, he formed some quick handsigns. "Great Fireball Technique," he whispered, barely loud enough for Sakura to hear.

The kunoichi's eyes got wide, and she knew she needed Itachi's foot off of her ankle. So, she swung at Itachi's knee with her free leg, and back-rolled into a backward handspring. When she landed nimbly, she was a few inches from the fire's reach.

Itachi nonchalantly pulled more kunai out, but this time he focused chakra along the blades. Sakura was smirking but in a troubled manner.

"_How did I go all gymnast back there?" she asked. __**"You didn't. I did," Inner Sakura replied. **__"Well, thanks, I guess. But Itachi is really serious. Do you think he'll kill me if I don't do anything?" Sakura asked. __**"… Probably not…"**_

Sakura had to react quickly as Itachi threw kunai and stabbed at her. He didn't use any other jutsu after the first Great Fireball Technique. She smirked some more. With her Inner's agility helping her out, the kunai were easy to dodge. Sakura actually didn't feel really threatened at all.

"Itachi, this isn't working! I know you won't hurt me, so the Sharingan won't awaken! We should try something else!" Sakura complained. Itachi stopped short. His face was stony and cold, "How do you know…? Sasuke felt the same way… Extremely secure in his brother and then… I don't need to elaborate further. So, did you not consider that at some point in time, I'd reveal my true nature in a way such as this? By killing you?"

Suddenly, Sakura stiffened. A cold chill ran along her spine, and she was paralyzed. The statement froze the blood in her veins and stabbed her heart through with ice.

Her emerald eyes locked onto Itachi's cold onyx ones, and she noticed the Mangyeko forming in them. _"Shit… I feel so weak right now. I swore never to feel this helpless again…" Sakura muttered. _

Itachi's mouth curved upward slightly as he let the Mangyeko retreat. "You are the biggest bastard ever, and I thank you for that," Sakura chuckled very evilly. She rose her head to glare at the Uchiha, proudly displaying the Ato Sharingan. Noticing that Itachi had lowered his Mangyeko, she yelled at him. "C'mon! I wanna try this out! It took me a hell of a while to awaken this, so it had better be worth it."

So, the S-Rank criminal made fast handsigns and from a nearby pond, shot a bullet of water resembling a dragon. "Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Sakura dodged and tried to make the same handsigns. A slightly awkward dragon rose from the water in the same way, and crashed onto Itachi. He chuckled, looking at Sakura, as she secretly praised herself. _Watch out Sasuke. One day… I'll bring you back…_


	10. VS Naruto

Ketsora: Thanks guys for reviewing this story and giving me inspiration

**Ketsora: Thanks guys for reviewing this story and giving me inspiration. This is a milestone, the 10****th**** Chapter! Hoping to see you in the next 10.**

**Edward Elric: Get on with the story.**

**Ketsora: Ed, you lil' midget why are you here?**

**Ed: Who are you calling so short that he wasn't allowed on the kiddie rides in an amusement park?!**

**Ketsora: Onto the story and away from Ed and FMA… This takes place a short amount of time after Ch. 9.**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto sat at Konoha's gate. He was sitting on the same granite bench that lost both Sasuke and Sakura. This object, though never speaking, told the story of both his friend's departures. And Naruto knew this… so he sat there every evening, watching the ravens flutter from each cherry blossom tree to the next.

Sakura stood at the gateway to Konoha. It was a really bittersweet revelation. There was Naruto, sitting on the bench that Sasuke-bastard left her on. She only needed five minutes, and then it'd be complete. Itachi and Sasori could come in if she only made sure no one else was here.

"Hey, is that you, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked. Sakura snapped back to the reality of it all. "Yeah. Sorry Naruto, I have some business to take care of…" she was cut off by a fist that barely missed her face. "That can't be you… you can't be Sakura! You're a fucking Sound ninja in disguise! Tell me that you are!" Naruto's eyes were flickering red and he was shaking.

"No. I'm not a Sound ninja. Naruto, please get out of the way, I need to speak with Tsunade-sama," Sakura reasoned coolly. This time, the fist hit her square in the jaw and Naruto was infuriated. "Really, don't be mad at me for leaving to find Sasuke, okay!" Sakura tried, still unflinching with Naruto's fist on her chin.

"You're wearing an Akatsuki robe. I have justified reason to be mad at you! You betrayed us!" Naruto scowled. Sakura shrugged and evaded the barrage of punches he was now throwing. 'It's just like when I fought Sasuke. She can almost predict my attacks!' Naruto figured. He stopped for a split second to lock eyes with the kunoichi. They weren't green, and that was enough proof for him. He jumped backwards and produced four shadow clones. The five Narutos were staring intensely at Sakura.

"The one on the far left is the real one," Sakura answered the unspoken question with her eyes closed. Naruto let some of the Nine-Tails Fox chakra leak out. "How did you know? You weren't even looking, and you could still pick the right one…Sakura, I haven't seen you in about 2 years and you're already not the same."

Sakura looked highly amused. "You're not the same either Naruto. So much weaker and slower than last time, eh?" she jested. Naruto led his shadow clones into the Uzumaki Barrage formation, which Sakura found strange. That was one of his old techniques that she knew. It wasn't even close to powerful either. Even stranger, Sakura let his attack go through.

"Na…ru…to! Uzumaki Barrage!" the clones yelled in unison. At the last drop kick on the opponent, Sakura grabbed the real Naruto's foot, and quickly spun it around, so that she had the leg in an arm-bar like position. "Please Naruto, don't make me have to break your leg," was Sakura's calm request. Naruto growled, "Stop jerking me around!"

When the two hit the ground, Sakura was on top, with minor bruises from the barrage's attack and Naruto was facedown below. "You've gotten good, Sa… Sakura-chan," Naruto half grinned, "With that Sharingan of yours. But you're not talking to the Hokage, or getting me to surrender."

"Really," Sakura smiled sadistically, "That's good, because I had no business with any of you from the beginning." Naruto stopped grinning and kicked Sakura with his free leg, "So it was a distraction. Dammit, I'm so stupid to have fallen for that." It was Sakura's turn to smile now. She got back into a fighting stance and said, "Well, I'm sure Itachi and Sasori's mission is already done, so why don't we finish this little sparring match."

Naruto held out his hand and looked at it, focusing his chakra into the swirling form of the Rasengan. "This… ends… here… Sakura…" Naruto growled, pulling his arm back. Sakura was ready to dodge the attack and go in for the quick kill when something caught her attention, her mind stopped and she only felt pain all throughout her body. The Rasengan hit, and in a vital spot.

"Is that how it happened?" Itachi asked, highly amused. Sakura grimaced as he helped her along, "Not quite. I gave him a nice finishing blow after that Rasengan, but that's pretty much the whole thing." Sasori closed his eyes and said, "Sakura, you did a good job, don't get depressed over not being able to beat Naruto." Said kunoichi scowled as Sasori opened the door to the hideout, "I wasn't beaten. I would've been able to kill him if my body didn't just stop for that one second!"

Itachi looked at her sternly, "Why, do you think Sakura, you stopped when you were about to kill Naruto? Why?" She laughed, "Hell if I know, Itachi-kun." He glared at her, "Because you couldn't. No matter how hard you try, you will probably be capable of killing anyone, but you don't really have the courage to."

Sakura looked shocked at this statement, but kept her head down. "Maybe, I guess. How did your mission go anyway?" Sasori smiled. "We got the information that we need on the 7-tailed bijuu. All set, you should go rest, that wound may open again."

**Ketsora: I have to admit. That was a pretty bad chapter. Well, review and prove me wrong, would you? My writer's block is over, I think!!**


	11. Bitter Revelations

**Ketsora: Okay. This chapter will be mainly centered on Konoha's people and how Naruto's confrontation with Sakura has blown over. Don't worry, you'll get to see a little bit of Itachi and Sakura on a mission to find the 7-tailed bijuu with Deidara and Sasori.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

(Konoha, Naruto's POV)

My right hand was burning with pain. I ran my hand along the deep laceration and frowned. Was it that wide before? I used too much chakra in that Rasengan I threw at Sakura. So much that it threatened to blow my hand off. But, I didn't care then. I wanted her to be in pain so I could make her stay in the village. Get her away from the Akatsuki, because she was better than that. While Shizune was fussing over the blood loss, I asked her if Sakura was hurt. She said that some of her blood was at the scene, but she was nowhere to be found.

So that was it, huh? Team 7, Sasuke the bastard, Kakashi our crazy sensei, Sakura the girl I loved, and me the knuckle-headed ninja. It didn't exist anymore, it was only me and Kakashi. Kakashi has been withdrawn the whole time, and I've had it. Everyone I care about has been taken away from me, and I can't stop them. Sasuke beat me when I had that one chance, and every time I've encountered Sakura, something's stopped me. And now, I at least know where she is.

Sakura, the girl I've always loved, is a member of the Akatsuki. I'll get her back. I'm ready now.

(With Sakura)

"It's important to the mission, Sakura-hime," Itachi said, trying his hardest to sound indifferent while his eyes gleamed with longing. "Fuck off," Sakura replied bluntly. Sasori and Deidara chuckled. Itachi growled, "You know how much I hate using my Mangyeko Sharingan on you." Sakura smiled, "And you know how much I love breaking it just to see your annoyed expression."

Sasori was highly amused, "You two play the part perfectly. Why don't you meet Itachi-san halfway, Sakura? You act like he's offering to marry you."

"He may as well be," Sakura was adamant, as Itachi grabbed her by the wrist. "Remember the first time we met, when you were so stubborn, much like now, and I took your wrist like this and threatened to break it? I didn't mean it then, _but I mean it now_." Sakura looked away and sighed, "Fine. But this is just the mission."

Deidara held his hand out to one of his clay birds, returning from scouting out the area. "The village is a mile ahead, Itachi. Sakura-chan, I suggest you start acting like a fiancee or else, un," he said, smirking. Sakura muttered "rot in hell" under her breath, but she grudgingly took Itachi's hand and let him lead her to the village gate. He whispered "Sakura Uchiha," in her ear playfully, receiving a would-be jaw breaking punch if he hadn't dodged.

"Itachi, you have no idea how much I hate you."

(Konoha)

"Stop wandering around, Naruto. You'll get pnuemonia," Ino reprimanded. Naruto winced, but shook his head, "No way. Why're you out here anyway? Picking up Shikamaru?" She sat on the bench and eyed Naruto curiously. "No. He's not coming. He's helping Tsunade-sama with the paperwork."

Naruto laughed, and said, "You want to know about Sakura, huh?"

"She was my best friend."

"Believe me when I tell you that she probably doesn't know who the hell you are. She'd probably kill you with a smile on her face if the Akatsuki asked her to. If she was being controlled, I could understand. But it didn't even faze her that she was breaking into Konoha and about to murder me. It was her own free will, dammit! Ino, just forget about her," he felt anger flush his face, and tears blur up the corners of his eyes.

Ino stood up, "I don't believe that and I won't give up on her. Naruto, I know this is hard on you, but don't just give up."

He smiled in spite of himself. "I wish I could relive that fight. She'd be in the hospital instead of me, and we could talk her into staying. But what's done is done, eh?"

(With Sakura)

"And this is my fiancee, Sakura," Itachi said, kissing Sakura on the cheek. She gritted her teeth and attempted to smile. He wrapped his arm around her waist and said, "Thank you for letting us stay here while we study the leads we're discovered. This will greatly help Konoha."

The old man that Itachi was addressing smiled and nodded. "Of course. Always a pleasure to help Konoha. Help yourself to anything in here."

Once he left, Sakura twisted Itachi's arm into a position where she could break it and smiled, "Charade's over, lover-boy. Hands off, got it?" He used the substitution jutsu to switch with a broom and sighed. "You really are a handful. Whatever will I do with you?"

"Leaving me alone would be nice!" Sakura growled. Itachi pulled her into a kiss and said, "Not until we get the 7-tailed bijuu, Sakura-hime." Her eyes flickered with hatred as she pushed him away.

"Let's just hope we find it soon. Preferably before I go insane."

**The much awated Chapter 11! Chapter 12 will not take as long if you review! Thank you for reading.**


	12. 7

**Chapter 12**

**Ketsora: My Holiday/New Year's gift to all of y'all. Yes, an update… ^_^'**

**It really took way too long. I hope the chapter will make up for itself. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even the computer I'm using to write this. **

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_Sasuke… Sasuke… Sasuke… Where are you?_

_I would do anything to rewrite that helplessness. I suppose bringing him back half-dead will have to be my eraser of sorts._

Those were the thoughts circling through Sakura's head as she watched Itachi pour over the map, marking locations with various numbers.

"Memorize these," Itachi said finally, quickly pointing to numbers eleven through fourteen. They were all fairly close together, near a lake in the large clearing they passed on the way up. Her eyes scanned the last number, fifteen, which was on the opposite side of the lake, and near the main road. It was wide open, and close to the ninja village, so anyone passing by could just notice five Akatsuki members and send for help. And that would suck.

"Are you sure about number fifteen, Itachi?" Sakura asked. She explained her thoughts quickly, but stopped once Itachi's glare became a little too intense.

"Don't doubt me," he answered simply. He rolled up the map and shoved into the small fire that was only starting up in the hearth. Sakura leaned back against the wall, trying to visualize the points in her mind's eye.

"_**That's really unlike him. Are you sure nothing happened between you… us… that I don't know about?" her Inner asked.**__ "No, this is really out of nowhere," Sakura sighed._

"Are you coming or not?" Itachi growled, waving his hand towards the door, "The bijuu awaits." Sakura glowered at the criminal as she went past.

_Something isn't right._

It took only a matter of minutes for them to get to the point that Itachi had marked eleven. "The bijuu is… currently around point fourteen. When he comes, don't use your Sharingan. It'll waste too much of your chakra, and you'll need as much as possible to beat him," Itachi calculated. He turned to the kunoichi, "Don't you dare mess up."

Sakura nodded, and quickly focused chakra into her hand, and sent a punch aimed directly at the Uchiha's jaw. He flew several meters back into one of the tree trunks.

"And don't _you_ dare talk down to me," Sakura smiled. Itachi stood up, rubbing his chin nonchalantly. "That hurt," he said, "But I suppose it was my fault. I mustn't have played the part accurately."

"Not entirely, bastard. You are right about the fact that you screwed up Itachi's character, but not because of the ass-hole qualities. It was because Itachi is smart enough not to piss me off," she explained, "And the easiest way to do that, is to talk down to me like _he_ used to."

The impostor released the genjutsu and smirked, "It seems you really aren't using your Sharingan, though. Is that because you can't, or are you respecting my wishes for our little fight?"

_Dammit. Why can't I use the Sharingan freely? I awakened it before… didn't I?_

"To answer my own question, it's because you can't. The seven-tailed beast inside of me has granted a rather useful power. The power to limit the amount of chakra that my opponent can use," he circled around Sakura, grinning triumphantly. "Sure, it takes a real toll on my own chakra levels, but it's worth it. Seeing my prey bow before me…"

"What have you done with Itachi?" Sakura asked. "Oh, him? He's old news. I can't honestly understand what you see in him, though. So stubborn and cold, even in his final moments," her opponent shook his messy brown hair and surveyed her with a feral yellow eye. He raised his left hand, which was covered in old blood.

"I'm afraid you have nowhere to run, hime. Just take a look around," he pointed around the clearing, revealing the faces of many other ninja. "I hunt in a pack, but when it comes to the kill," the Jinchuuriki drew closer to her face, "I go alone."

Sakura pushed him away, cursing under her breath.

"What're you waiting for? It's you and me, and the moment you make your first, futile effort, I'll be that much closer to the biggest thrill of all. Fresh blood…" he was practically growling now. Sakura got up, and clenched her fists. That Jinchuuriki didn't leave her much chakra, so it would have to be a taijutsu battle if she wanted to survive.

Did she want to survive? If Itachi was dead, she'd lose all leads and information pertaining to Sasuke. Could she really face that truth?

"It's a shame when the prey won't fight back."

He closed in.


	13. Derailed

_**Chapter 13**_

_**Ketsora: Unlucky thirteen. I really hope this chapter doesn't come too late for my reviewers. I've been kinda busy.**_

_**I own nothing here, not even this computer. I do own this 7-tailed bijuu (he's not the one seen in the manga. I wrote this before Mr. 7-tails came around)**_

_**Oh, and you may recognize the cliffhanger that I left you on last chapter. I recycled it for a reason ^_^**_

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

_Sakura quickly ducked to the side, avoiding a well aimed punch. The Jinchuuriki scowled. "What's wrong? Don't you know when to surrender?" he circled around the pink-haired kunoichi, "Your lover's dead and I can see that you've lost all hope in your eyes." Sakura blinked, and tried to formulate a plan. It would be difficult to go toe-to-toe with this fool, because once he fell, his pack_ would close in on her. She wondered for a moment whether or not her chakra would return if he died.

She smiled and made a quick hand sign. He turned on her and sent a shuriken flying. Sakura barely had time to react, and she lost her focus. "Dammit! Can't you see I'm trying to break your genjutsu here?" she yelled, smirking. The Jinchuuriki glared at her, but stood back. "You're not as dumb as I took ya for. Ne, Sakura-_chan_, I think Itachi was right. Surprising how insightful a man can be with his last breaths," he clasped his hands together and lifted the genjutsu. It dissolved around him, only to reveal Sakura standing alone in the middle of a clearing.

She sighed a relieved breath, and double-checked the surrounding area. No sign of the Jinchuuriki. No sign of Itachi either.

"_**What does he matter?" her Inner snorted.**__ "Without Itachi, I lose all trails and leads that pertain to Sasuke. How can I go on living if I can't get my revenge on Sasuke?" Sakura scolded her Inner self. __**"In that case, you're just as bad as he is. Maybe even worse. Isn't this all Sasuke lived for? Revenge? Is this all you're gonna live for? All we are?" Inner Sakura was practically screaming now.**__ "Why the hell did you come back. Didn't I lose you? Am I honestly that weak that I need an annoying inner voice to set me straight?" Sakura closed off the conversation._

There was a rustle in the bushes, and she grasped some kunai in her hand. Deidara emerged, grinning slightly. "Hey Sakura-chan. Long time no see, un," he waved. Sakura scowled and shoved the kunai back into the holster. "Nice to see you. Deidara-san, have you seen Itachi around?"

His smile faded, "No, un. He was with you. Sasori and I left for the scouting mission under his orders." Sakura paled. She grasped for one of the kunai she had just put away and eyed it, "Did you see a brown haired man around here?" Deidara shook his head. "Sorry. You're the only one I've seen, un."

The kunai was weighted in her hand. She glanced her reflection in the cold, black steel. It was pitiful, with pleading eyes and a twitching smile. She had to admit, she looked derailed. That Jinchuuriki couldn't have been telling the truth. He spoke only lies, he even appeared to her as a genjutsu illusion. He couldn't be taken seriously…

…Itachi was still alive… He had to be…

_Shunk_

"You idiot! What the hell was that for!?" Deidara yelled, moving a step closer. Sakura had thrust the throwing knife into her shoulder. She was muttering to herself. "Pathetic. Simply pathetic. You don't give a damn about him. All you care about is killing Sasuke. Get over yourself. If he's dead, all you have to do is find another lead. No big deal… not a problem…" The warm red liquid was soon accompanied by cold fragments of crystal. She couldn't stop the tears, nor did she want to. She was human, dammit… whether she chose to admit it or not.

"_**What are you, a masochist? Nearly gave me a heart attack!" her Inner muttered.**_

Everything went black.

…

…

"Sakura-hime? Hello?" a hand was shaking her. Her eyes flicked open madly, and she sighed.

"Good morning. I'd love to ask what went through your mind when you stabbed yourself. You pierced a major artery and the hemorrhaging that resulted could have killed you. And here I thought someone with such a vast knowledge of anatomy under the great Tsunade would have used some common sense," Sasori shook his head and washed his hands in the bucket of water that Deidara brought in. Sakura's shoulder was bandaged up extremely tight. Pressure treatment. She sighed mentally and hoped that they had used a antiseptic on her wound before probing around with less-than-sterile hands.

She sat up. "Sasori-sama, have you seen Itachi around?" He smirked at her, "I'm afraid he has no qualms about making people wait. He left to track a lead about Sasuke's whereabouts."

Silence permeated the room. Just as she thought… "When will he be back?"

"Oh, only a matter of time now. He left three days ago, so perhaps he'll return later on tonight. You seem overly concerned," Sasori noted. Sakura plastered her face with the expression Itachi had taught her. The puppet-master couldn't help but chuckle.

"I know you asked Deidara about a seven-tailed Jinchuuriki, and we can report that he is still at large, but not a threat. He wasn't targeting you in general, just passerby. Sakura, don't go around getting yourself into stupid situations. I know Itachi might not seem like the type, but he's worried about you," Sasori concluded. Sakura scoffed. She was just a tool, nothing more.

(Konohagakure)

Naruto stared into his bowl of ramen and sighed. "Pervy sage, do you have a moment?" Jiraiya looked up. "Do you need another bowl?" he asked. The blonde shook his head, "It's not that. I guess I just feel kinda lonely because my friends chose the revenge path instead of staying here. I don't understand it. Should I go after them?"

Jiraiya reached into his wallet to pay, and he pulled out a photo of his old team. "Look Naruto. When Orochimaru left, I was tempted to go after him. He was the only one who ever understood me, we were the best of friends. I went after him and I got stopped. I know Sasuke is like that to you. After awhile, Tsunade and I went our separate ways, and as you saw, when we reunited, it was to take down our former teammate Orochimaru. I guess you could say, Sakura is kind of like Tsunade. She's on her own path for her own reasons, but she's not abandoned you. I'm sure she'd help you to bring down Sasuke if the time came. Nothing lasts forever, but I do believe in the bonds of comradeship," the sage said. Naruto smiled, and reached for his chopsticks.

**Ketsora: I know this update was a long time coming. Now that summer's here, I'm a little more motivated, so you may expect sooner updates and maybe a couple of dormant stories may get a facelift. Who knows?**

**A note about my characterization of Sakura: I don't want her to become a Mary Sue. I try my hardest to make her have flaws and very human moments. Sakura's not the type of person that would be able to kill her emotions successfully. This is one of the reasons why her Inner self has returned.**


	14. Author's Note

Hello people (person?) who still reads this fanfiction,

It's been two years since my last update, and four years since I started this fanfiction. My deepest apologies to anyone who actually enjoyed this story, but my life started to get sort of busy around that time. I've recently gotten a lot of time back and I would really love to get back into writing fanfiction, though I regret to inform you that I haven't read or watched Naruto in quite some time. I have no intention of abandoning this story, and I will try to finish it in some satisfying way for the readers.

Thank you for reading this choppy and hastily written author's note.

~Ketsora


End file.
